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Labour will scrap SATs and baseline assessments

Labour has proposed it would scrap SATs and end the new reception baseline test.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said at the National Education Union conference that he would instead introduce a more flexible and practical assessment system to replace the existing tests.

The debate at the conference in Liverpool resulted in a vote in favour of a ballot for a boycott of all primary tests in 2019-20.

Corby said: "We need to prepare children for life not just for exams. These tests are bad for children, bad for parents and bad for teachers.We need a different approach. So today I can give you this commitment: the next Labour government will scrap primary school SATs for seven and eleven year olds.

"And we’ll scrap the government’s planned new baseline assessments for reception classes too because they can’t give accurate comparisons between schools when pupils have such different backgrounds."

The Labour Party says it will consult with teaching unions, parents and experts for the proposals for a new system "that separates the assessment of schools from the assessment of children".